Flying with iPad mini - A Pilot's Review

The Importance of Access to Critical Weather Information for Pilots

That's what's happening at that airport right now or what's forecast for the next couple of days or the winds on the surface and the winds aloft over that airport every bit of information that we used to have to dial up and call a briefer on and and we can still do that but that information is now available instantly as a in a digital format before we leave for our trip. Of course, planning the trip is always the most crucial part when it comes to safely uh completing a trip.

I also like to go on a moving map display and here you'll see a trip that I have on Saturday where I'm going to depart Bartow and I'm going to run down to Sebring for a meeting. This will be in one of my customers' airplanes. Run down to Sebring for a meeting, and that meeting will probably take 30 or 45 minutes, and then I go from there directly down to Marathon and pick up my customer. From Marathon, I'm going to turn around and come right back to Bartow in his airplane. It's about a 200-mile-per-hour airplane; it's significantly different from the one I have. So, a lot of times we think bigger is better, and you're actually using an older iPad Mini right now.

I just wanted to get your thoughts on this. Is that what it would be like to try and work with the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro in the cockpit? Well, I can tell you right now; it doesn't weigh any more than my old iPad Mini, really. Yeah, I like the bigger screen, the bigger format, but for me, it's a matter of space, and it's actually easy to see right here that this would be more than sufficient for me flying for an airline or using in some of the four-seat succeed or light twin airplanes. There's plenty of room for it there because the cockpits are much bigger.

The Brand New iPad Mini

This is the brand new iPad Mini, and actually, just came out a week ago as we're recording this. What's new about it is that it has a Touch ID button to actually do your fingerprint to unlock it. There's no more home button; you just swipe up from the bottom to go home, kind of like some of the modern phones. The screen is actually a little bigger because it doesn't have those bezels at the top and bottom with that big button.

I was just curious what would you think of upgrading to something like that or how does that feel different? Would that bigger screen real estate benefit you here in the cockpit? I think the bigger screen would definitely benefit me. Absolutely, would like it about every three years or so; I typically upgrade iPads. The main advantage again is probably a faster processing speed and a little bit larger hard drive in addition to that. The battery life keeps getting better and better. Biggest weakness of the iPad is heat as in direct sunlight if it warms up, it'll shut off on me.

The iPad Pro for Pilots

They are rock-solid, and their stability; I would not be flying without it, and in fact, last week Sunday morning at three o'clock, I'm on an airplane heading to Bismarck, North Dakota, with my iPad and all my flight gear. I pick up an airplane in Bismarck fly from there down to Rapid City, and then from Rapid City all the way across the country back into Bartow on Wednesday day before yesterday that entire trip both of those trips but that trip in particular that airplane had 100-year-old technology in it, and I navigated 100 across the country on the iPad without a hiccup or a drip error. No problem.

Jumping from one airplane to another, have complete confidence in your technology and your ability to get there. That could never have been done before. Well, I would love to hear if there are other pilots watching this if you use the iPad Mini; if your experience has been the same, maybe as the upgrade time you're going to get the new mini for it. I'd love to hear from you down in the comments and don't forget to like this video and subscribe to the Apple Insider Channel.

Scott Thank You

Scott, thank you so much for being with me today. Yeah, sir, thank you; appreciate it. Appreciate it